Pressed-steel transmission-case



A. H. LEIPERT.

PRESSED STEEL TRANSMISSION CASE.

.APPLICATION FILED APR-23.1919.

1,327,681, Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

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AUGUST H. LEIPERT, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TU INTERNATIONAL MOTOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PRESSED-STEEL TRANSMISSION-CASE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed April 23, 1919. Serial No. 292,065.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUsT H. Lnirnn'r, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressed-Steel Transmission-Cases, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

The advantages of pressed sheet steel in automobile construction for engines, transmission cases, etc., in place of cast metal has been recognized, but thus far no satisfactory means of providing proper shaft bearings have been found. It is impracticable to form the shaft bearings directly in the pressed sheet metal. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved transmission case or the like of pressed sheet steel in which the shaft bearings are dropforged and welded to the case, the dropforging being of such form and so related to the case that the shafts are maintained in fixed alinement with relation to each other under all conditions, the case is relieved of all strains which would tend to cause, it to buckle, and the initial securing of the drop forging to the case is facilitated. There is shown in the accompanying drawing, by way of illustration, a transmission case in which there is employed at each end a single drop-forging in which are bearings for two shafts. In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved case, parts being broken away to show the relation of the oil well to the side wall.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of the improved case, taken along the plane indicated by the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section of the case taken along the planes indicated by the broken lines 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Cast metal cases, generally speaking, are open to the objections that they are very heavy and may crack in use, while other cases of sectional form, in which the parts are secured together by fastening devices, have a tendency to buckle and cause the disalinement of the shafts. The improved construction has for one of its principal objects to provide an integral pressed sheet metal case to the end walls of which are secured, in a satisfactory manner, drop-forgings provided with bearings for the shafts. These drop-forgings-a are preferably secured .to the end walls of the case by welding. By

including in a single drop-forging the bearingsfor each of the shafts to be supported it will be understood that these shafts are held in fixed axial relation to each other and all strains imposed on the forging are transmitted equally to the two shafts so that their tendency to become disalined is compensated Referring to the illustrated embodiment the pressed sheet steel case a is made in such form and size as to permit it to receive the transmission mechanism and adapt it for mounting on the vehicle frame in the space provided therefor. The case may be flanged, as at a, and this flange may be drilled with bolt holes a to receive supporting bolts as well as a suitable cover plate. In the illus trated embodiment, provision has been made for supporting two shafts which extend through the case, but it will appear as the description proceeds that bearings for any greater number of shafts may be formed by obvious modifications. In one end wall of the case are formed two openings 6, b and in the other end wall are formed correspondingopenings 0, c to receive the two shafts,

respectively. Bearings for the shafts are formed in drop-forgings (Z, d, secured at the opposite end walls of the case as by welding. It will be noted that the dropforging 03 is formed with an annular flange d which sets into the opening 6, the inner edge of the flange lying flush with the inner end wall of the case and the periphery of the flange constituting, with the body of the flange d a shoulder by which the flange is held in the opening. The bearing for the shaft at this portion may include a bushing 6 set in the flange and the outer face of the forging may be provided with a second flange (i against which the outer edge of the bushing bears. It will be noted that the other bearing d in the drop-forging d is plane and the face rests flush along the outer wall of the case.

The construction described is of special importance in centering the forging d with its two hearings in proper relation to the openings I), b for the shafts. In the initial assembling the flange d is inserted in the opening I) so that the bearing becomes properly centered and the entire forging is then swung about the center of the opening 6 until the other bearing section cl is alined properly with the opening I). The welding operation is then performed. The other forging (Z is provided with an upper bearing member (Z and a lower bearing member cl. In this forging the lower bearing member d may be shouldered, as at (Z and this shoulder may rest within the opening for the purpose of properly positioning the forging during the welding operation, the upper bearing member (Z at this time being held in proper alinement with the opening 0. Aside from the facility for assembling and holding the forgings in proper position during the welding operation, as described, it will be evident that the formation of the bearings for the respective shafts in a single integral drop-forging insures the maintenance of the alinement of the shafts under all circumstances. Any strains impressed on the forging will be transmitted through the bearings equally to the two shafts and relative axial movement therebetween is accordingly prevented. Contrariwise, any strains impressed on the shafts will be transmitted directly to the forging and the pressed metal case will accordingly be relieved therefrom.

The bottom wall of the case may be provided with an opening 7 to place the case in communication with a suitable oil well g, which may be welded to the outer wall of the case and communicate through the opening 7 with the interior thereof. The bearing d in the forging 61 may have an oil channel h drilled therein which communicates with the interior of the case through a port u There are indicated in the drawing bearings for such other interior shafts as may be employedin the transmission mechanism. As shown in Fig. 3 particularly, bearings i, 2" for one such shaft are welded to the inner wall of the case and provided with shoulders i respectively, resting in openings i 2' respectively, provided therefor in the opposite end walls of the case. These bearings may also be drop-forgings.

The construction described is, of course susceptible of modifications according to the conditions of use. The invention is not to be limited to transmission cases, but the principles involved may be employed to equal advantage in other structures in the automobile art. Further, it is evident that each of the drop-forgings cl, d might include as an integral partthereof other bearings for additional shafts in the transmission mechanism.

Reference is to be had to the appended claim for a definition of the scope of the invention.

1 claim as my invention:

A. pressed sheet metal case having openings in its walls for shafts and integral drop-forgings welded to the walls and formed with hearing members for the shafts, each such forging being provided with a shoulder at one of the bearings to seat in one of the openings, the forging at the other bearing being plane to rest against the outer wall of the case.

This specification signed this 21st day'of April, A. D. 1919.

AUGUST H. LEIPERT. 

